1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to tape cassettes and, more particularly, to a novel and highly-effective tape cassette comprising a pair of tape reels mounted therein in such a manner that they can be moved in an axial direction away from the bottom wall of the cassette through a distance sufficient to enable rotation of the tape reels but insufficient to enable withdrawal of the tape reel hubs from hub-receiving apertures which are formed in the bottom wall and within which the tape reel hubs are received. The invention relates also to a novel and highly-effective method of manufacturing a section of the cassette housing that includes a transparent window plate.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional tape cassette of the sort used for a video tape recorder includes a pair of tape reels mounted rotatably in a cassette housing. A magnetic tape is wound on the reels and transported from one reel to the other to facilitate recording, playback, fast-forward, rewind, etc. The upper section of the housing has a top wall including a transparent window plate, the inside of the cassette housing being visible through the window plate so that the amounts of tape wound on each reel can be visually confirmed. Each reel has a hub, the hubs being rotatably fitted in respective hub-receiving apertures formed in the bottom wall of the cassette housing.
A spring affixed to the top wall of the housing engages the tape reels and urges them against the bottom wall of the housing but permits the tape reels to be moved in an axial direction away from the bottom wall to facilitate rotation of the tape reels.
When the tape cassette is handled, the exposed end of either reel hub may be accidently pushed by a thumb or finger and moved too far in an axial direction away from the bottom wall of the housing so that the hub comes out of the associated hub-receiving aperture and mounts the bottom wall on the inside thereof. If the tape cassette is inserted into a video tape recorder in this condition, the reel drive shaft of the tape recorder can not be inserted into the hub aperture, the cassette will not operate, and the tape reel may be damaged.